I am a born and raised New Hampshirite; I grew up on the ocean in Hampton, went to college in the mountains at Plymouth State University, and now get the chance to live and serve on Squam Lake. For such a small state, New Hampshire has a variety of pretty landscapes and environments, and I am lucky to have called several beautiful settings home.
After a few weeks of being surrounded by my 5 other coservers, all of whom were born elsewhere, I am starting to appreciate New Hampshire more and more. These 5 made the choice to come to New Hampshire, to leave their respective home states in the rear view mirror and come somewhere new. Seeing these folks exposed to the state's beauty and quirks, I almost feel as though I am exposed to them again for the first time. I am eager for them to experience all the great weather and the differential of seasons, but I also can’t wait for them to go through all the nastiness New Hampshire can throw at us; a foot of wet heavy snow, maybe an ice storm, several consecutive days below 0 degrees or above 90 degrees (with high humidity), and the weeks of mud. Few things are as humbling as a nasty day of weather, hot or cold, wet or dry. After being here for 22 years, I have grown to love it all and those terrible days make me appreciate the better days coming soon.
As I am sitting here writing this, snow is starting to fall. Over the course of the day, the cove has transitioned from a mirroresque ice to a pretty white blanket. As of today, we are looking forward to the first good snow storm, one that will allow us to finally get out and plow and shovel. But I know the anticipation for the first snow is higher than any other expected snow. It's a different story come February when we are facing a Nor’ Easter expecting to dump 12-14 and we will have to plow at 3AM. But for right now, we’ll enjoy the pretty little dusting.
Just like the ocean, just like mountains, I know Squam will be magnificent in every season. The bare brown color of late fall, the white of winter, the gold of spring, and the green of summer. Regardless of where I am, regardless of the amount of change occurring, I can always count on the Granite State to be stunning. I didn't have the choice of being born in New Hampshire, but I have made the choice to stay here for a little while longer. Wherever I go, New Hampshire will always be my home.
Mike is a full time member serving at the Squam Lakes Association. A New Hampshire native, he graduated from Plymouth State University with a degree in Environmental Science and Policy. You can learn more about Mike here!